The End
by Lingua Dii
Summary: Sequel to "Valentine's Day".  The world is ending. Most of the inhabitants of South Park are either dead or missing.  Rated T for language. Sorry for the crappy summary.
1. Hell On Earth

Final story to share this continuous storyline. I hope you like it.

* * *

><p>About a year after Cartman left South Park, many cities all around the world started to "go dark". The people there just stopped communicating and, once the surrounding people went to check on them, all they found were their remains, as well as the whole city burned to the ground. Everyone was frightened, not only because this was happening in every country around the world, but because there weren't any signs that anything was wrong, until the surrounding people found the trail of destruction. The fire didn't release any smoke, the people didn't leave any sort of markings behind... There wasn't even any indication that they had tried to run away. It was as if they had let themselves be killed. Soon, entire countries had already been wiped off the map.<p>

Once the people started realizing what was going on, panic spread through the streets like wildfire – Satan was back, stronger than ever, and he was taking over the world. With his secret revealed, Satan stopped "playing nice" and increased the attacks on humanity, making no effort to try to hide his attacks.  
>Slowly but surely, every country surrendered to the dark lord, until only a few pockets of resistance were left. However, they didn't have the means for a full-scale rebellion, as more and more demons escaped from Hell. All they could do was try to survive on their own, whilst relying on each other for support.<p>

Due to their past experiences with Satan, South Park was one of the last towns to fall. In fact, it was now being rebuilt, as the remaining citizens killed or expelled the demons, zombies and other monsters that still dwelled within the small town.

Unfortunately, although they had started fighting back, many people had already been lost. The first to die were the elderly, too weak to even handle the situation without suffering heart attacks and strokes. Many of the middle aged citizens of South Park also died, trying to save their children, although they just ended up leaving them alone in the world. Worse yet, some parents had to bury their children, as they had been unable to save them.  
>Stan's parents and sister were part of the former group. They had all died during the first wave of demonic attacks, which decimated half of the population of South Park. Thankfully, Aaron was too young back then to remember it.<br>Of course, Stan wasn't the only one to lose family members. Both Kenny and Kyle had lost their mothers, Wendy had lost her father, Bebe's parents had lost her, Butters had lost both of his parents... Everyone had lost someone they cared about to the many monsters that now roamed the world.

* * *

><p>Stan woke up in the middle of the night after a series of particularly unpleasant nightmares about the death of his family. He was still blaming himself for his family's death, even though everyone assured him that it wasn't his fault.<br>If it hadn't been for Aaron, Stan probably would've tried to get himself killed along with his family.

"_I'm glad I got you out of there in one piece... You're all I have left, little bro._"

With that thought in mind, Stan went back into his bed and cried himself to sleep, as he had been doing for nearly a year now.

* * *

><p>Stan was still asleep when Kenny and Kyle finally woke up. They had a large tent for themselves, since they liked sleeping together, although the group had some smaller spare tents.<p>

Kenny: Hey there, Kyle.  
>Kyle: Hey... How are you feeling today?<br>Kenny: I just woke up, but the fact that you ask makes me happy already.  
>Kyle: I'm glad... Hey, what time is it?<br>Kenny: ...About 7 AM. I'm guessing we still have an hour before the others wake up and decide to start moving.  
>Kyle: That's good.<p>

Kyle sighed and lied down on Kenny, which made the latter smile. He didn't know how Kenny could smile after all that had happened, but he was just glad that he could. Stan, on the other hand, only smiled when he was around Aaron. It was the only thing that could make him happy nowadays.  
>Butters was even worse. After his parents died, he had completely changed, not unlike Stan had when he joined the Goth Kids. The only thing that kept him going was his anger. All the years of repressed anger had finally been released, since his parents were no longer there to repress it. His anger was so great that his friends were afraid to even talk to him, lest he snapped and started hitting them, or worse, got himself killed. Unfortunately, that just made the problem worse. Although Butters knew his friends were afraid of him and wouldn't dare say anything if he tried to make everyone else obey him, he never took advantage of it. They knew that this meant that there was still a part of him in there, keeping him in check. Keeping him alive.<p>

* * *

><p>An hour later, just like Kenny had guessed, everyone was awake and almost ready to move. About a month ago they had successfully sealed off the town from all the demons, zombies, ghouls, etc, so now all they had to do was get rid of the remaining monsters. However, they needed to stay moving, as the they were always trying to find and kill them.<p>

Kenny: Come on, Kyle. We gotta move.  
>Kyle: Hang on... OK, done. Let's go.<p>

* * *

><p>The group, composed of Butters, Kyle, Kenny, Ike, Stan, Wendy, Wendy's mother, Aaron, Token, Token's father and Kyle's father, started wandering aimlessly through the town, trying to find resources such as food, water, clothes, armor, weapons... Anything that could help them survive.<br>Butters and the adults were walking at the front, as the former thought that he had nothing left to lose, while the latter thought that they had to protect the children. Of course, the children didn't like being treated as such, although nobody told Butters what to do. At least not anymore.  
>Stan stayed with Aaron and Ike in the middle, for obvious reasons, while Kyle, Kenny, Wendy and Token stayed in the back.<p>

The whereabouts of many of the residents of South Park were unknown, such as Mephisto, Kevin (his assistant/son), Kenny's siblings, most of the people who worked at the school, etc. Although they hadn't been found, despite the group's best efforts, some still had hope that they were alive.

Token: Stop! I hear something...

The whole group froze and looked frantically around, trying to find out who, or what, was out there. Hearts started racing as the barely audible footsteps became louder until, finally, a group of two humans came out of the shadows. Kenny immediately recognized his sister and his brother and ran to them, leaving the group exposed.

Kyle: Kenny! Get back here!  
>Token: Quiet!<p>

Kenny didn't care. He hadn't seen his siblings in a long time; he had even started wondering if they were dead. He missed them.  
>His siblings also ran to him and all three shared a big hug mixed with tears of joy, before a large demon started flying over their heads. Once they heard its piercing cry, they ran back to the rest of the group. The reunion would have to wait.<p>

* * *

><p>Once the sun had finally set, the group started unfolding their tents and building a makeshift fence around themselves for protection. As usual, they set up more tents than they needed to, just in case they were attacked during the night. The extra tents, they thought, would make it harder to attack the "right" ones.<br>Tonight, it was Kenny, Kyle, Token and Stan's turn to guard the "camp". However, Kenny wanted to talk to his siblings alone before that.

Kenny: How are you guys?  
>Kevin: We're alright, Kenny.<br>Kenny: ...Karen?  
>Kevin: She hasn't said anything since...<br>Kenny: ...I see.

Kyle waved at Kenny from outside; they had to take the first shift, and soon. Kenny hugged his siblings once again and left.

Kyle: How are they?  
>Kenny: Kevin's fine, but Karen's...<br>Kyle: Karen's what?  
>Kenny: She's not talking anymore.<p>

"_I hope she's alright._"

With that, Kenny and Kyle also stopped talking. Although their love for each other was as strong as ever, they had to forget about that and worry about everyone else. Of course, that didn't stop the occasional glances or random flirting.

* * *

><p>As usual, nobody had attacked the group during the night. They were able to sleep peacefully. Although they were getting used to being able to sleep soundly, they still took precautions. They didn't want to be caught off-guard and killed, or worse.<p>

Kyle: Ken, wake up.  
>Kenny: Hmm...<br>Kyle: Kenny!  
>Kenny: What?<p>

"_Hey, it's not __**my**__ fault you're so lazy. We've been doing this for months now; you should be used to it._"

Kyle: It's time to start moving. Come on.

"_Guard duty sucks ass..._"

* * *

><p>Like the day before, the group started wandering around South Park, getting rid of everything supernatural along the way.<br>Although they didn't want to admit it to themselves, most of them were losing hope. They had sealed the town, but what did that actually accomplish? Without external resources, eventually, they would die anyway. Even if they managed to grow everything they needed, they would still die. They were too few to do anything about the fact that a very large portion of the world's population had been wiped out. They were fighting a losing battle, and they knew it.

Kyle: Kenny, are you alright?

"_Not really... I feel like crap._"

The group stopped for a brief moment while Kyle checked on Kenny. Kyle placed his hand on Kenny's forehead and noticed that his boyfriend had a very high fever. Once Kenny saw the look on Kyle's face and realized that he was about to say something to the rest of the group, he just grabbed his hand, gave it a light kiss and whispered not to tell anyone about anything.  
>Unaware of Kenny's situation, the group kept on going until nightfall. Tonight, it was the adults' turn to guard, along with Butters. Kenny was lying on his "bed" next to Kyle, who was still very concerned for him.<p>

Kyle: We should talk to someone. Your fever hasn't improved since this morning.  
>Kenny: I'm fine, Kyle. A little fever isn't going to stop me.<p>

Obviously, Kyle wasn't convinced. His concerned look was almost frightening to Kenny, because it made him wonder just how bad it really was. Unlike Kyle, however, Kenny was able to hide it. Seeing that his boyfriend wasn't going to let him tell anyone, Kyle decided to change the subject of the conversation.

Kyle: So... Do you think Cartman's still alive?  
>Kenny: Fuck no. He was probably killed by the zombies. Remember, the fatties and idiots go first.<br>Kyle: ...Sometimes I wonder why he left South Park in the first place. If he had been here...  
>Kenny: Do you... miss him?<br>Kyle: No... Kinda... All this time without him just made me realize that maybe he wasn't such a bad guy after all.

Kenny was starting to feel uncomfortable because of this conversation.  
>What if Kyle really did have feelings for Cartman and he had just stood in their way? What if Cartman was the one who was right for Kyle? After all, if it hadn't been for Cartman's knowledge of Kyle, their relationship probably wouldn't have survived in the first place. Worse yet, Kenny hadn't told Kyle why Cartman had left South Park (and, in fact, denied any knowledge of the situation). But maybe now it was time that he told the truth.<p>

Kenny: ...I know why Cartman left South Park.  
>Kyle: What?<br>Kenny: He told me... He told me that he was in love with you, but that he couldn't stand seeing you with me, so he left. He said he didn't want to be in pain anymore.  
>Kyle: ...You told me you didn't know anything about this.<br>Kenny: I'm sorry... I just never really thought that-  
>Kyle: That I might want to know why a guy we've known for almost our whole lives had suddenly decided to leave?<p>

"_I never thought you'd care... Or maybe I was afraid you'd care too much._"

Kyle: First it was the thing with your dad, then Valentine's Day, now this. Why do you keep hiding things from me?

Kenny lowered his head in shame and, although Kyle knew what Kenny was feeling at the moment, he still grabbed his boyfriend's clothes and threw them to him. Kenny raised his head to ask what that was all about, but Kyle simply pointed to the entrance, and Kenny understood what he meant.  
>Even though it was the end of the world, Kyle was still able to act as if everything was normal. Kenny didn't know it, but he was the reason why Kyle was able to do this. Without him, Kyle would have fallen apart a long time ago.<br>He had told Kenny to find another tent to sleep in tonight. Kenny knew better than to argue, so he got dressed and quietly slipped into one of the many empty tents, whereupon he got into the sleeping bag in said tent and started thinking. He was wondering why Kyle had kicked him out in the way that he had. It was like a woman telling her husband to sleep on the couch, which was an extremely awkward situation for Kenny. However, he just let everything go and fell asleep a few minutes later. He would have to take care of this thing with Kyle in the morning.

* * *

><p>Kenny woke up to the sound of gunfire and the alarm the boys had made. He grabbed the first weapon he could get his hands on and ran out of the tent just in time to see Kyle being taken away by the same flying demon that had flown over their heads when his siblings first appeared.<p>

Kyle: KENNY!

Kenny didn't waste any time screaming; he aimed his weapon and started shooting the demon until he felt weak and collapsed on the ground. Everyone else kept shooting at all the monsters around them and, once they were gone, ran to Kenny to help him. Some of them put him back in the tent that he had spent the night in, while the others rebuilt their makeshift fence and defended themselves against any additional monsters. Much to Kenny's anger and disappointment, they hadn't even bothered to try to save Kyle. Kenny wanted to ask why they had given up on Kyle so soon and to tell them to go after him, but he was too weak, and passed out instead.

* * *

><p>I'll start the second chapter in a while.<br>Small note: I have about three concepts in my head right now; at least two full stories should be created from them (after I finish this one, obviously).


	2. Damien

The group completely shut down without Kenny and Kyle. They didn't want to risk moving Kenny, since he was sick and, without Kyle, they would be too vulnerable anyway. They had been in the same spot for days now, taking care of Kenny. However, once he got better, he wasn't thankful. He was pissed.

Kenny: What the fuck is wrong with you! Kyle was being taken away, and you did nothing!  
>Stan: We were more concerned about you than-<br>Kenny: I don't care if I was on fire! I wasn't going anywhere!  
>Wendy: Kenny, we had to worry about everyone else first. We barely survived that attack, you know. If we had tried to save Kyle, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now.<p>

Kenny knew that Wendy was right. He could see that the decision hadn't been easy to make, for any of them, but now it wasn't the time to think about that. He had to rescue Kyle, no matter the cost.

Kenny: ...Where did the demon take him?  
>Stan: We don't know, dude.<br>Kenny: **Which way did it go?**  
>Wendy: Kenny, this isn't going to bring Kyle back.<br>Kenny: He's not dead. Now, you either tell me which way the fucking demon went or I will tear this planet apart piece by piece until I find him.

The group saw that Kenny was being serious. He would do anything to save Kyle. However, they still didn't want to tell him anything. If they did, they would lose another member, and their group was already short on people.

Kevin: ...It went north.  
>Stan: Kevin!<br>Kevin: I know my brother. He's not joking. At least this way he has a chance at finding him.  
>Stan: There's no way he can! Kenny, you need to let go of him.<br>Kenny: ...If you talk about him like that again, I will fucking kill you. Do we understand each other?  
>Stan: Talk about him like what?<br>Kenny: Like he's dead! He's not dead, I know it!

"_Right, you have magical insight into who's alive and who's dead. That's why you were worried your brother and your sister might be dead before we found them._"

Kenny: ...Sorry. I just need some supplies and I'll be out of your way.  
>Wendy: ...We can't-<br>Kenny: I don't care what you think. Give me some fucking supplies and I'll be out of your way.

"_Dude, I know you're scared you lost your boyfriend, but that's no reason to be an asshole._"

Stan: She means that you're still too sick. We can't let you go.  
>Kenny: Unless you leave someone guarding me every single day for 24 hours I <em>will<em> go after Kyle. You can't stop me, so you might as well help me.

* * *

><p>The rest of the group reluctantly agreed to let Kenny go, although only three of them also thought that Kyle was still alive.<br>Once Kenny was saying goodbye to everyone, he noticed that he was truly alone. Ike and Kyle's dad thought about going, but they didn't even believe Kyle was still alive. Kenny was outraged by what he perceived as cowardice, but he didn't say anything about it. Thankfully, someone stepped up and decided to go with him.

Kenny: Are you sure?  
>Leopold: I also think Kyle's still alive. If the demons wanted him dead, they would've killed him when they had the chance. Besides, you need someone to watch your back.<p>

Those weren't the only reasons, though. Butters knew that the rest of the group would be able to handle themselves just fine without the two of them and Kyle. He also knew that they were going to start rebuilding but, unlike them, Butters had nothing left. Stan had Wendy, the adults wanted to protect everyone, even Kenny's siblings would have each other if he died.  
>There was nothing left for Butters here.<p>

Kenny: ...Thanks, Butters.

The group approached the edge of town fairly quickly and were once again saying goodbye to Kenny and Butters. Karen was the last one to approach the two. She was oddly peaceful, as if she hadn't yet realized what the situation was.

Kenny: I'll come back. I promise.  
>Karen: ...Good luck.<p>

* * *

><p>Kenny and Butters left South Park and spent the next two days walking north. The only indication that they were getting closer to Kyle was the fact that the number of monsters they were finding along the way was increasing. Most of the time they were able to avoid being seen without killing anything, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to do so.<p>

Leopold: Do you think they saw us?  
>Kenny: If they had, we'd be dead.<p>

"_Good point._"

Kenny: There's a car over there. It looks like it might be working.

"_Looks like a trap, if you ask me..._"

Leopold: So, what? We run over there and hope we're not seen?  
>Kenny: ...Pretty much, yeah.<p>

"_Excellent plan._"

* * *

><p>Despite Butters' skepticism, the plan actually worked... for the most part. They had succeeded in getting the car, which was working perfectly, but now they were being chased.<p>

Leopold: Drive faster!

"_Right, I'm not going as fast as I can because I __**want**__ us to get caught._"

It looked as if the boys were about to get caught when, suddenly, the ground behind them exploded. Someone had clearly set a trap, but who? Whoever it was, they had to be close by. If it was just a trap set to explode if anything walked over it, they wouldn't have survived.

?: Over here, boys!

Kenny drove in the direction of the familiar voice, but once he got to safety, he immediately regretted it. The person who had saved them was none other than Stuart, his father.

Stuart: Thank God you boys are alright. I was worried you wouldn't make it here saf-

Kenny quickly approached his father and punched him in the stomach as hard as he could. Stuart dropped to his knees and held his stomach, while Butters grabbed Kenny and pulled him away, in case he decided that one punch wasn't enough.

Kenny: Cut the crap. Did you see a giant flying demon go through here? Was it carrying anyone?  
>Stuart: Well, hello to you too, son.<p>

Kenny tried to free himself from Butters, but the latter just held on tighter until he stopped.

Kenny: Don't call me that. You stopped being my father when you tried to blackmail me into leaving Kyle. What kind of father does that?  
>Stuart: ...Kenny, I've had a very long time to think about what I did and I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't have done what I did.<p>

Kenny didn't believe anything his father said after "and", but he couldn't focus on that right now. Kyle was all that mattered to him.

Kenny: ...Whatever. Now, have you seen Kyle? He was taken and-  
>Stuart: Yeah, I saw him. Come on, sit down and have something to eat. You must be starving.<p>

Butters gave a slight nod in Kenny's direction, and the boys sat down. They hadn't eaten properly since they left the others behind, because they were always moving. At least with the others, they could sit down and take turns eating properly, while those who weren't eating guarded them. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than what they had been doing. However, all of this seemed unimportant, as one question rose in Kenny's mind.

Kenny: How did you survive on your own for so long?  
>Stuart: ...I haven't been alone for very long, actually. I... I just recently lost my cellmate. He was my only friend in jail, and-<p>

"_Oh, for fuck's sake... Here comes a long, boring story..._"

Kenny was right to think that. First, his father started talking about his time in jail and how his cellmate helped him through it all with some helpful tips, as well as teaching him how to make improvised explosives, then he started talking about the time the monsters came for them in jail and how they escaped, and finally he explained how he had died by accident when he was making more bombs that they could use to ward off the monsters. Kenny didn't really pay much attention, since he hated his father for what he had tried to do, but Butters was listening very closely, like a child listening to his grandparents' tales. Kenny was very upset, because it was almost as if Butters looked up to his dad, in spite of what he had done.  
>After he finished telling the story, he asked the boys if he could go with them, since he had nobody to help him and would surely die. Butters immediately agreed to it, without even asking Kenny anything, which just made him more upset. Kenny reluctantly spent the night at his father's hideout because, once again, Butters agreed to it without thinking or asking Kenny about it.<p>

Butters was agreeing to Kenny's father's requests because of the similarities between his own father and Kenny's. They were both very poor fathers, as evidenced by how they both treated their sons, but that didn't matter to Butters anymore. He missed his father very much, and this was the closest thing he had had since he died. Unlike the other adults, Kenny's father didn't try to impose himself as a father figure on Butters, which just made him appreciate him more.

Stuart was going to take the first shift guarding them, then Butters, then Kenny. Because they were too few, one person would have to be enough. Besides, unlike their group in South Park, they had enough explosives to ward off several hundred monsters... if they could run away before setting them off.

* * *

><p>?: Hello, Kenny.<p>

"_Great, another nightmare... Which is it this time?_"

?: This isn't a dream... Well, it is a dream, but I'm real.

"_The fuck?_"

Kenny opened his eyes and was surprised to see Damien, Satan's son.

Damien: I gotta say, I'm impressed. How did you manage to track Kyle _days_ after he was taken?  
>Kenny: Mostly dumb luck. Every time I didn't know where to go, I found another clue. I'm getting pretty close now. I can feel it.<br>Damien: Well, enough hiding. I'm the one who took Kyle. If you want him back, you'll have to come to me.  
>Kenny: Tell me where you are. I'll go over there and we can have a long chat.<p>

"_Well, at least this is better than a nightmare._"

Damien: For the last time, this isn't a nightmare. But I see you don't believe me so... I'll just have to prove it to you.  
>Kenny: How?<br>Damien: Don't shoot the messengers.

"_What?_"

* * *

><p>Leopold: Kenny, wake up, dammit!<p>

Kenny once again opened his eyes. This time, he saw the ground and noticed that he was being carried by Butters. His whole body hurt, which he guessed was due to the fact that Butters wasn't exactly being gentle about carrying him.

Kenny: Wh-Where are we going?  
>Leopold: Shut up and stay down!<p>

"_You should do the same... You're giving me a headache._"

The boys and Kenny's father hid inside the car for a very long time, until Kenny started remembering the last bit of his dream and walked out of the car. Stuart and Butters were so terrified that they didn't even think about telling him to get back in the car.  
>Kenny looked around and finally saw what they were so scared of – zombies. He immediately regretted listening to his dreams, until the zombies stopped and a single zombie walked up to him with Kyle's picture. Kenny took it and the zombies slowly, and quietly, walked away.<br>Kenny glanced at the date in the picture. It was two days old. He started examining it closely and saw that Kyle wasn't hurt. He was holding a note with an address (supposedly Damien's) and "Hurry" written on it.  
>Butters approached Kenny and, after looking at the picture, felt relieved. Kyle was alive and unharmed, although he wasn't well. Butters didn't even wait for Kenny to say anything. He started packing immediately while Kenny carried the stuff he could onto the car.<p>

Stuart: Where are we going?  
>Kenny: <strong>I'm<strong> going to rescue Kyle with Butters' help. You can help us... or you can stay here and die. Either way, I'm getting him back. I don't care what you say.  
>Stuart: ...I already told you I'm sorry, Kenny. I'm gonna prove it by helping you get him back, no matter the cost.<p>

"_Right..._"

Stuart took the wheel while the boys slept some more in the back. The only thing on his mind was proving to his son that he was truly sorry for what he did. He didn't know if this would prove it to him, but he had to try.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, they arrived at their destination. The group got out of the car and looked around carefully. After making certain that they were safe, they grabbed what they could from the trunk and started walking deeper into the building. As usual, the elevators weren't working, so they took the stairs. Once they arrived at the top, they found Damien, but no Kyle. They threw everything they had at him, but he just shrugged it off and, with one wave of his hand, pinned all three of them against the wall with tremendous force. Not hard enough to break all their bones, but it sure felt like it.<p>

Damien: Hello, boys... Mr. McCormick! I see you're still alive. Let's get started, shall we?

* * *

><p>As you have probably guessed, this isn't the final chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, though.<p> 


	3. Future

The group struggled against Damien's telekinesis, but it was pointless. He was too powerful for them. They were all expecting a slow and painful death, which did, in fact, cross their captor's mind, but he dropped them slowly onto the floor, his eyes still glowing with hatred. However, Kenny didn't care. He was completely focused on getting his boyfriend back.

Kenny: Where's Kyle?  
>Damien: Not here.<br>Kenny: You said-  
>Damien: I know what I said. I lied.<p>

Kenny clenched his fists in anger, almost to the point of bleeding, but he managed to calm himself down and turn around, towards the exit.

Kenny: Let's get out of here.  
>Damien: Hang on. I don't have him, but I know who does.<p>

"_Not this type of thing again... Then we're gonna have to work together..._"

Damien: It's Eric.

Damien started explaining what happened to Cartman after he moved away from South Park. Although the distance between him and Kyle was bigger than ever, his feelings never subsided. The pain he felt kept increasing, until he decided to put an end to it. After doing so, he was sent to hell for all his misdeeds and was tortured for a very long time, up to the point when he started gathering power and followers to take over the planet. Satan was very pleased and eventually started shunning his own son, eventually replacing him with Cartman. Obviously, Damien was very upset by this, but his father didn't pay attention to it, so he started doing many things to get his father's respect and his position in hell back. Unfortunately for him, Cartman wasn't making it easy.

* * *

><p>After realizing what Damien was up to, Cartman had Satan cast him out of hell, effectively erasing any and all respect he once had for his father. Now he just wanted revenge. With Cartman's new powers, however, he couldn't face him on his own. Being attacked by someone with evil intentions just increased his powers, so he needed someone else. Someone who was pure of heart – Kyle. However, his plans were once again thwarted when Cartman kidnapped Kyle. He also intended to have Kenny killed but, thanks to his fight with Kyle, he was only found when it was too late.<br>Now Kenny was all that he had left. Kenny wasn't exactly pure of heart, but he only wanted Kyle back because he loved him so much. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do.

Kenny listened to this story with mild interest but a few things weren't making sense.

Kenny: Why do you care what your father thinks anyway?  
>Damien: I am Damien, son of Satan, prince of hell, and I'm going to be usurped by some obese fag who couldn't handle a simple heartbreak? No fucking way.<p>

"_Dude, your dad's gay, I'm gay and Kyle's gay. And yet you wanted Kyle's help, you __**need**__ my help and you want your father's approval. And none of us can handle__getting our hearts broken._"

Kenny started wondering how exactly Satan had had a kid in the first place, but once he remembered what happened when they arrived, another question arose in his head.

Kenny: ...Also, if you needed our help, what's with that reception?  
>Damien: You shot me. Repeatedly. What did you expect?<p>

"_Even though the bullets didn't hurt you? Seriously?_"

Damien: ...Anyway, I'm sure you guys are tired. You can sleep in that room. Kenny, I need to talk to you... alone.

Butters had the "Don't do it" look on his face, but Kenny decided to trust Damien. After all, he needed him alive.  
>He followed the son of Satan into a private room, whose door disappeared as soon as it was closed. Butters started shooting at the wall, but it was of no use. The bullets bounced off of it just like they bounced off of Damien. On the other side, Kenny was frightened and starting to wonder if Damien's story was true, until he started talking again.<p>

Damien: Sorry about the door, but I can't have your friends sneaking up on us.  
>Kenny: ...Butters is the only friend I brought with me. We <em>found<em> Stuart on the way here.

"_'Stuart'? I'm guessing he did something you didn't like..._"

Kenny: I just have one question – What's in it for _me_ if I help you?  
>Damien: You get Kyle.<p>

"_I was going to get Kyle either way._"

Damien: Anyway, you gotta understand that... it's not gonna be easy to take Cartman out. I have a few followers who don't like him either, but they're mostly zombies. They're useless.  
>Kenny: I know it's not gonna be easy. So, what do you need me to do?<br>Damien: First you have to let go of your anger. Being struck in anger just makes his powers grow. That's why I couldn't defeat him.  
>Kenny: ...And then what? Is there a special weapon or something that I can use?<br>Damien: Nope, regular weapons will do. Cartman is not an immortal... at least not like me. Anything that can kill humans should be able to defeat him. Of course, it's gonna take a lot more than what it would take to kill a human. There's another thing... Your mother is dead, correct?  
>Kenny: ...Yeah. So what?<p>

Damien started explaining that, without his mother, he couldn't be reborn; that he would die. For good. And that, if he did... the entire planet would be ruled by Cartman for eternity, and all his friends would suffer because of it.

Kenny: ...Why didn't Cartman simply kill Kyle, anyway? If he's one of two people who can defeat him...  
>Damien: In spite of my... best efforts, Cartman hanged on to his love for Kyle, even after death. He's trying to brainwash him right now into loving him back. And, if you're wondering how I got a picture, zombies aren't exactly very suspicious. They all look alike... after a while.<br>Kenny: And this is what you couldn't tell me in front of my friends?  
>Damien: No. I just couldn't let them see this.<p>

Damien once again waved his hand and crushed Kenny against the wall.

Kenny: What the fuck is wrong with you?  
>Damien: It's time to start training you. Cartman's not gonna be nice, he's not gonna play fair, and he's not gonna leave you any breathing room.<p>

Damien dropped Kenny on the floor carelessly. He waved his hand again and a couple of pistols appeared. Kenny grabbed them and aimed at where Damien was, but he was gone. He started examining the room closely when Damien appeared from behind him and, once again, threw him against the wall. Kenny complained that Cartman couldn't turn invisible, but Damien assured him that his powers were far greater than anything he could imagine.

* * *

><p>As Damien trained Kenny for the fight against Cartman, Butters started talking to Kenny's dad about what was going on in there. Stuart was even more concerned than Butters, so the latter had to calm him down.<p>

Leopold: I'm sure he's fine... Damien needs him, remember?  
>Stuart: I guess...<p>

Butters smiled and hugged him, as if he was hugging his own father. Stuart didn't notice it, but the blond boy had tears in his eyes. He really missed his father.

Kenny trained for hours after nightfall without taking a single break. Damien was impressed by the blond boy's resilience, but he decided to take a break anyway.

Damien: It's time for a break.  
>Kenny: No! I can keep going.<br>Damien: Relax. Kyle's not going anywhere. You need to calm down. Let go of your anger.

"_This coming from the son of Satan himself, whose eyes literally glow when he's pissed?_"

Damien: ...I can read your mind, you know.  
>Kenny: ...Well, don't then. Or I'll start thinking about-<br>Damien: Whoa, alright, alright! I'm done reading your mind. Now go to sleep.

Damien teleported Kenny into the same room as Butters and his father. They started asking about what had happened, but Kenny didn't even bother to answer them. He dragged himself onto his bed and passed out. Despite his protest, he was still human, and he was exhausted. Stuart and Butters were worried about Kenny, but once they noticed that he was still breathing, they were somewhat relieved.

"_Kenny... why do you do this to yourself? Is it really worth it just to get Kyle back?_"

Kenny: Gotta rescue K-Kyle...

"_...I guess it is._"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back in South Park, the rest of the group had finished setting up their usual camp. Tonight, it was Stan, Wendy, Token and Kevin's turn to guard it. Due to their history together, Stan and Wendy were taking the first shift together, per Token and Kevin's request. The group had almost completely eliminated every monster in the small town, so they were more relaxed. Kevin and Token were counting on the two of them talking to each other and settling their differences.<p>

Stan: So...  
>Wendy: What?<br>Stan: We haven't talked in... weeks. How are you doing?  
>Wendy: ...Fine.<p>

"_Great! Glad we had this chat._"

* * *

><p>After their shift was over, Stan and Wendy woke up the other two guards and headed towards the many tents. Kenny and Kyle's tent was still in good condition, so they still used it. Stan was heading towards his usual tent, when Wendy pulled him into the other boys' usual tent. Stan was surprised, but he didn't say anything and followed her inside.<p>

Token: What do you think she's gonna do to him in there?  
>Kevin: She's either gonna kill him or kiss him... several times.<p>

Kenny woke up almost twelve hours after passing out on his bed. Once again, his whole body hurt; this time, however, it was because of the training. Damien had slammed him against the walls so many times he was lucky he didn't have any broken bones... yet. Butters had been talking to Stuart while Kenny was still asleep, which made Kenny a bit angry. He didn't understand that Butters missed his father very much, and that he saw him in Stuart, so all he could see was that Butters was spending time with the man who tried to blackmail his own son into leaving the person he loved.

* * *

><p>Butters glanced at Kenny's bed and saw that he was staring right at him and Stuart with a very angry face. However, he smiled at Kenny, walked over to him and hugged him.<p>

Leopold: Finally! I was worried about you.  
>Kenny: OW! Don't... do that.<br>Leopold: Sorry...  
>Kenny: It's OK... I need a drink... Or fifteen.<br>Stuart: Hang on, I'll get something for you, s-Kenny.  
>Kenny: ...Thanks.<p>

Stuart got his son a few drinks and delivered them with a smile on his face, but Kenny ignored him. He drank them as quickly as he could and lied back down. The alcohol made his pain a little better, but his whole body still hurt as if he had been put through a meat grinder. The only thing that kept him going was knowing that it was all for Kyle.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Kenny was ready for more training, but Damien was nowhere to be seen. The door to the training room wasn't there anymore, his zombies were gone... There was no indication that anything had ever been there.<p>

Leopold: Where did everything go?  
>Kenny: I don't know...<br>Stuart: Boys!

The boys walked over to Stuart and found him holding a note.

"_Kenny, Butters, Stuart – We're out of time. Cartman found me. I had hoped that the room I took Kenny to would be able to shield us, but after I... greeted you, it was over.  
>He sent his very best demons after me. I was able to draw them away, but the zombies are climbing the stairs as we speak. Don't worry, though. You have a lot of time before they reach you guys... assuming you're not reading this hours after I wrote it.<br>Oh, and Kenny? Trust your instincts.  
>Good luck.<em>"

Before anyone was able to fully process what the hell happened, they heard sounds coming from the stairwell.

Kenny: ...Fuck.  
>Leopold: Why didn't he teleport us like he teleported you last night?<br>Kenny: It's Damien. He has a twisted sense of humor.  
>Stuart: Or maybe it would give away our position if he had. It really doesn't matter, we need to get out of here.<p>

The group started moving towards the fire exit, thinking that it was empty, but it wasn't. Zombies were surrounding them, so they decided to try something very risky – go down the elevator shaft a few floors so that they could escape through the stairwell. Kenny's body was still hurting pretty bad, but it was either this or learn how to fly.  
>A few minutes later, the zombies had scouted the top floor entirely and saw the group. They started throwing themselves down the elevator shaft, hoping that they hit one of them. The group immediately noticed this and left through the elevator door. Afterward, they were able to run down the stairwell and leave the building. They got in the car and drove away, without even thinking about the lack of resources. They had had to leave almost everything behind, and they couldn't get it back.<p>

Leopold: So... now what? We can't make the trip with what we have here. There's just no way.  
>Kenny: Then we'll have to get more fuel, food and guns on the way.<br>Stuart: There's a town about five miles from where we are. With any luck, there'll be more resources there.

"_'With any luck'? We're screwed for sure._"

* * *

><p>While Kenny's father drove to the nearest town, the group back at South Park had finished getting rid of the last zombie in the town.<p>

Token: Is the last one?  
>Kevin: ...Yup.<p>

"_Probably._"

Wendy: Now what?  
>Stan: Now we start rebuilding... and hope for the best.<p>

The group instinctively faced north, hoping that Kenny and Butters were alright. Wendy took Stan's hand and whispered in his ear.

Wendy: I'm sure they're fine. They're probably on their way back here to help us rebuild South Park as we speak.

"_I hope you're right, Wendy..._"

* * *

><p>She was half-right. They were alright, but they were also very far away. After reaching the town and getting more food and gas for the car, they started heading back to it. Unfortunately, they were attacked.<p>

Kenny: How did they find us?  
>Butters: Does it matter?<br>Kenny: Not really.  
>Butters: There's too many of them!<br>Kenny: We've fought more and won back in South Park!

"_Back in South Park we had like ten people._"

* * *

><p>Although Kenny was very enthusiastic about their odds, Butters and Stuart knew better. Butters was carrying Stuart, as he had nearly lost his left leg, and Kenny wasn't exactly the greatest shooter of the three.<br>They hid in a nearby building which confused the various monsters. They started moving slowly, searching everywhere for them. Thankfully, they didn't think about looking inside the buildings... yet.  
>Stuart looked at his leg and realized that he wasn't gonna make it out alive. He was bleeding far too much for that. However, he could do one last thing before he died.<p>

Stuart: Get me some of those canisters, some wires...

Kenny's father started giving the boys a list of things he needed, which was clearly intended for a very large bomb. It was also clear that he didn't want to set it off from a safe distance – someone was going to stay behind. And he was volunteering for the job.

Leopold: No. We can do this without getting you killed.  
>Stuart: How? I'm gonna die anyway. There's no use in trying to hide it. At least this way you guys can escape and rescue Kyle.<p>

Due to the abnormal circumstances, Kenny was the one who had to pull Butters away from his father and convince him to get the things his father needed.

* * *

><p>After the boys made sure the bomb would work, they said their goodbyes to Stuart.<p>

Leopold: ...We can still try to wire something together and save you.  
>Stuart: You know that's not possible. My fate was sealed the moment that... thing tried to rip my leg off. Now get out of here. If you don't get to the car soon, I won't be able to set it off safely.<p>

Butters tried to suppress his feelings as best as he could and headed towards the exit. The zombies had noticed the group inside the small building and were now headed towards it, but Kenny still had time to say something to his father.

Kenny: ...I'm sorry, dad.  
>Stuart: It's OK. I know why you don't trust me anymore. I wouldn't trust me either. But now's not the time to worry about that. You have to go get your boyfriend back, son. You have to leave now. Those zombies are almost through the door.<p>

Kenny hugged his father one last time and ran towards the exit, right behind Butters. Stuart held on for as long as he could until, finally, he set off the bomb.  
>The boys looked at the small building as it went up in flames with tears in their eyes, but they couldn't stay for very long. The zombies were weak and stupid enough that the blast scared them off for a while, but the other monsters weren't. Kenny dragged Butters away to the car, who was once again wondering whether this was all worth it just to get Kyle back.<br>Although, initially, Butters thought that he was willing to go as far as Kenny was to get him back, he wasn't so sure about that now. He thought that Kenny's obsession to get Kyle back could only end in tragedy, even if he succeeded. He had already lost his father, and yet he seemed unfazed by it. If he got Kyle back, the realization of that event would probably destroy him. If he didn't get Kyle back, then it would have all been for nothing. There was no conceivable way that Kenny could "win" this.

* * *

><p>After about an hour of driving, Kenny and Butters arrived at their final destination – Cartman's hideout. There were no monsters here; Cartman had been expecting them. They rushed inside and were immediately surrounded by zombies. They took Butters away, but left Kenny standing.<p>

* * *

><p>Kenny looked around the room, trying to find anything that could help him against Cartman. The room was perfectly round, with a few pillars sticking out of the walls. There were also a few paintings and pictures of various massacres that happened throughout history, which gave Kenny chills. He kept looking around the room, but Cartman suddenly appeared out of nowhere.<p>

Eric: Took you long enough to get here.  
>Kenny: Where are you taking Butters? And where's Kyle?<br>Eric: Butters will be fine. Now, about Kyle... he's with me of his own free will. Isn't that right, Kyle?

Kyle walked around Cartman and slowly approached Kenny. The blond boy ran towards him and tried to hug him, but he received a lightning fast punch as a response and, like his father, he dropped to his knees and held his stomach.

Kenny: ...What did you do to him, fatass?  
>Eric: I told you, he's here of his own free will. I'm not the one keeping him here.<p>

"_Trust your instincts._"

Kenny got up and, without thinking about it for more than a split second, put a bullet through Kyle's head. Kyle fell to the ground and vanished a few seconds later. It was just an illusion.

Eric: ...How did you-  
>Kenny: If you truly knew Kyle, you'd know that he would never try to hurt anyone, no matter how much brainwashing he had been through.<br>Eric: You're smarter than you look, poor boy.

Cartman pointed at a wall, which turned invisible. Kyle, who was on the other side, hit it as hard as he could and tried to scream for Kenny, but he was unable to do anything other than hurt his hands. Kenny saw Kyle for the first time in days, but he noticed that he wasn't completely unharmed anymore. It seemed that Cartman had lost his temper and tried to electrocute him or something, judging by the marks on his clothes and body. A few seconds later, Cartman turned to Kenny and the wall went back to normal.

Eric: If you want Kyle, you'll have to get by me first.  
>Kenny: With pleasure.<p>

Kenny shot Cartman several times, but every bullet just made him stronger. Like Damien, Cartman was throwing Kenny against the walls as hard as he could after being shot a few times until Kenny finally collapsed on the floor, with various bruises on his body. Cartman started walking towards him and raised his fist, eclipsing the large chandelier on the ceiling.

Eric: Goodbye, Kenny.

"_Let go of your anger._"

"_If you fail, we're all doomed._"

"_You have to go get your boyfriend back, son._"

Kenny: ...Kyle...  
>Eric: What?<p>

Cartman thought that Kyle had managed to escape and looked all around him, which gave Kenny the opening he needed to stick the gun in his mouth and shoot him several times. Afterward, Cartman fell on Kenny, which made him bleed more.  
>After gathering his strength, he pushed the fat boy off of him and started dragging himself towards the wall where Kyle was. He banged it a few times, but it didn't do anything. Kenny laid there for a few minutes before Kyle showed up out of nowhere and helped him up.<p>

Kyle: Come on, Kenny. We have to leave.  
>Kenny: B-Butters... Zombies... Rescue...<p>

Kyle didn't even try to rescue Butters. After spending all this time being tortured by Cartman, he knew that the fat boy would never have let him live. He managed to drag Kenny outside and the boys shared a loving stare until a stray monster showed up and put its hand through Kyle's stomach.

Kenny: KYLE!

The monster threw Kyle away, which made Kenny snap. He started shooting the monster until he was sure that it was dead. He rushed to Kyle as quickly as he could and tried to revive him, but it was of no use. He was gone. Kenny held Kyle's lifeless body and started crying harder than ever, until Damien showed up.

Damien: ...Well, isn't this a surprise? It isn't exactly what I pictured, but it will do, I guess.

Kenny turned to Damien and tried to shoot him, but his last encounter had completely depleted his bullets. Instead, he threw himself at the smaller boy and started punching him as hard as he could, ignoring both the pain and the fact that it had no effect on Damien, until his hands started bleeding.  
>Damien simply threw Kenny off of him and smiled. He had won. Kenny, however, was devastated. He had given everything he had and more to get here, and now Kyle was gone. He dropped to his knees and started crying again, which didn't go unnoticed by Damien.<p>

Damien: What's wrong? You won. Cartman's gone, and now the armies of hell can go back to where they belong.  
>Kenny: ...P-Please... Please bring him back. You have to bring him back. You said that I'd get Kyle in the end...<br>Damien: And you did... for a while. What happened after that is none of my business.

Damien expected another fit of anger, but Kenny simply started crying harder, which made him feel uncomfortable.

Damien: ...But, since you helped me, I guess I can... bend the rules a bit. I will turn back time until last year's Valentine's Day, and I'll erase Cartman's memories. He won't remember you, Kyle or any of the bad things he has ever done. It will be like a second chance for him.

"_He's probably just gonna screw it up again, but I'll be ready for him this time._"

Kenny: And Kyle?  
>Damien: He'll be alive and well, but he won't remember any of this. It will be up to you to decide whether you should tell him or not.<br>Kenny: What about everyone else who died?  
>Damien: They'll all be alive, without any memories of the past year. You'll be the only person on this planet to remember it. Other than me, of course. I think you can handle it, considering how you've handled your pseudo-immortality.<br>Kenny: ...Thank you.  
>Damien: Don't thank me just yet.<p>

Damien, thanks to the powers he received when Cartman died, was able to turn back time, just like he promised.

* * *

><p>Kenny awoke to the sound of the alarm on his wristwatch going off. It made his head throb with pain, but it was actually pleasant compared to the pain he had just felt after his battle with Cartman. A few seconds later, he noticed that he was being shaken by someone.<p>

Kyle: Ken? Wake up!

Kenny blinked a few times and saw the meteor shower from one year ago. He looked around and was back in the same spot that Cartman had showed him. And the best part was that Kyle was there too.

Kenny: What happened?  
>Kyle: You passed out... We should probably get you to a hospital.<p>

Kenny was overcome with joy and hugged Kyle as hard as he could. He started crying, which confused and worried Kyle.

Kyle: Are you alright?  
>Kenny: I'm fine, Kyle. I just... I had one hell of a nightmare.<p>

"_A pretty bad one, from what I can tell._"

Kyle: D-Do you wanna talk about it?  
>Kenny: Some other time.<p>

Kenny kept his arms around Kyle for a very long time, although he had already stopped crying.

Kyle: Ken, I don't mean to sound rude, but... you're kinda hurting me now.  
>Kenny: S-Sorry... I... I missed you so much.<br>Kyle: ...Are you sure you don't want to go to a doctor?  
>Kenny: I'm sure. Let's just enjoy the meteor shower...<br>Kyle: ...Alright, if you say so...

Kenny pressed his lips against Kyle's and kissed him as if he hadn't seen him in years. Kyle once again thought about asking if Kenny was alright, but he decided not to. It was probably just the nightmare Kenny had.

Kenny: I love you so much, Kyle... I don't know what I'd do if I lost you forever.  
>Kyle: I know. I love you too, Ken.<p>

The boys lied back down on the large towel and stared at the sky as various lines formed on it and disappeared a split second afterward. They got a bit closer together, enjoying each other's presence, and Kenny fell asleep once again. Although his body was perfectly fine, his mind was exhausted. He just hoped that the nightmare was truly over.

* * *

><p>I leave you with a quasi-famous quote, which gave me the idea for the title of this chapter:<p>

_"Go back and reconcile your past_, in order _to move tranquilly_ into _your future_."


End file.
